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He often made great mistakes and arrived at false conclusions, still he had so much genius and knowledge that a great part of his work will always remain true.Arabella Buckley, of French naturalist George-Louis LeClerc, Comte de Buffon, Intendant (Administrator) of Les Jardins des Plants, anticipator of Darwin and Lyell

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Eye Contact

I draw the line at being picked up in Starbucks.

Sure enough, the sexual energy in this town just cannot be stilled. Two young women were seated on an outside table at the Starbucks in Greenbelt 3 in Makati and they decidedly gave me "the BIG Hello Sailor": a long look, serious initially, breaking gradually into a Mona Lisa smile and a "Hello" as I got closer. They don't come more blatant than that.

The Double Grande Latte of pick-me-up looks.

**************

It doesn't take long for a single male walking down the streets of a town like Manila, Bangkok, Hong Kong or even Singapore, for him to discriminate the looks you can get from girls.

1.) There is the "you don't exist" look. She looks right through you; you are not actually there for her. This is the look a guy like you probably deserves. You are older than her father and probably twice as obnoxious and overbearing, bald, obese, generally unattractive and dressed like a hobo. What do you expect from any normal girl?

2.) There is the "I don't believe your momma let's you out looking like that" look. See above. She sees you, but is nauseated. There is no eye contact, just and up and down and man, you're out of the running.

3.) There is the "I know you" look. She is possibly a working girl, or more likely is a total ego-lunatic with an Electra complex, but she wants to see if you're noticing her. There is brief eye contact but she breaks it quickly. No smile.

4.) There is "Brief Hello Sailor" look. There is eye contact lasting just beyond a comfortable level, and she breaks the eye contact again. She's seen you around and suspects that you're a player but maybe she's not available tonight, or maybe it's only 8am and you're on your way to work. If you keep looking at her, she knows you are a player and she becomes further disenchanted by the sad predictability of human nature.

5.) There is the "Hello Sailor" look. Similar to the above but YOU break the eye contact. She doesn't smile. She just knows, and she knows that you know. If you make a move on her, she'll consider it.

6.) There is "I'm Yours Tonight" look. She is smiling all the time. Maybe she is just happy. Maybe she has already made $500 tonight. She gives you eye contact, but the fact that she is already smiling means that it's not you that is making her happy, though you could make her happier with another $500.

7.) There is the "BIG Hello Sailor" look. That's what I got at Starbucks. This is usually only seen in places like Geylang, or walking out of Nana Plaza. I have been on the receiving end on the corner of Orchard and Scotts Rds as well, at the Shaw Centre. In the underpass even (no pun internded). Full eye contact, serious look breaking into a smile (YOU make her smile!) and the verbal offer of friendship. You only have to smile back and you're hooked...

But I had my Mocha Frappuccino, I'm fine. I break eye contact very early as if I didn't notice this come-on and I'm on my way home... Alone. I have to work tomorrow.